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by GarnetSeren



Series: Hermione's Hijinks [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Do not copt to another site, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Getting Together, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Hurt/Comfort, Male-Female Friendship, Rare Pairings, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:42:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24771826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GarnetSeren/pseuds/GarnetSeren
Summary: As rain lashed against the window pane, Hermione carried two mugs of tea over to the window seat. She took a moment to regard her companion before she handed one of the drinks to George without a word, and his lips quirked into the smallest of smiles; a silent thanks as he shifted his long legs to make room for her. When they were younger, Hermione had never really know what to make of the Weasley twins, but now George was a broken half of a whole, they'd somehow fallen into a surprisingly easy friendship that no-one would have predicted, least of all her.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/George Weasley
Series: Hermione's Hijinks [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1302449
Comments: 10
Kudos: 68





	1. Mourning

The sun shone brightly in the cloudless sky, belying the sombreness of the day. Hermione had never know the Burrow to be filled with anything other than life, even in the midst of chaos the war had brought, but today the meandering house felt empty despite being filled almost to the rafters with people. For a split second she was almost annoyed at the cheery weather, though when she took a minute to really think about it, Hermione supposed the bright sunshine would have been what Fred would have chosen; which was a strange thing to think, but she was still struggling to come to terms with the fact one half of the Weasley twins were gone. They hadn't been particularly close, but despite how many times they'd butted heads over the years, Hermione had always liked Fred. She might not have approved of their original testing methods, but she could see the genius behind the twins' inventions, and she appreciated the joy they'd brought to other people. So Hermione felt Fred's absence just as everyone else gathered did... even if Ron had drunkenly accused her of not caring just the night before... perhaps not as keenly as some of the others, but she missed him all the same. However, despite running herself almost ragged comforting Ron and Ginny and Harry over the past week, it was the remaining Weasley twin that Hermione was most concerned about.

George had taken Fred's death unsurprisingly hard, to the point that he'd outright refused to attend his brother's funeral. Of course that had created a _huge_ argument, with Ron and their mother shouting at him, before George had yelled back. In the end it had taken the combined effort of Mr Weasley, Bill and Charlie to break the tension, ushering the former two towards the fireplace to floo to the memorial, whilst the latter had stormed out of the backdoor. Percy, Ginny, Angelina, Lee, Neville and Luna had all trailed after them, though Hermione had instinctively caught Harry's arm and whispered a hurried explanation that she was going to stay and keep an eye on George. She wasn't exactly sure if it would help, but she couldn't in good conscious leave him alone; not today, and certainly not in the state he was in. Hermione he knew Ron would probably cause another argument about it later, but that was a problem for the future. Her best friend gave her a hug, as well as a strained but grateful smile, before leaving her alone in the now empty house. So taking a steadying breath, Hermione nervously tugged the cuffs of her plain black cardigan over her wrists, and smoothed out imagined wrinkles from her simple black shift dress, before she squared her shoulders and went in search of George.

She found him sat on the bank of the large pond that dominated the Weasley's land, his suit pants and dress shoes already filthy from the mud, and his ginger hair haphazardly poking every which way thanks to the bandage that wrapped around his head, protecting what remained of his severed left ear. Hermione made a point of making her steps as loud as possible, not wanting to risk startling him, considering they were all still a little jumpy after everything they'd survived. George looked up at her with a scowl already contorting his objectively handsome face, though when he didn't immediately yell at her to go away, Hermione took it as a sign and sank to the muddy ground beside him, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders. He immediately tensed at her touch, before all at once melting into her; sobs racking his body as he cried into her shoulder. Without thinking, she tightened her hold as George's strong arms wrapped around her waist, anchoring her to him. Unable to help it, tears began to roll down Hermione's cheeks as well, though whether they were for the twin who'd lost his life or the one who had to figure out how to go on living, she wasn't sure.


	2. Surviving

Dusting herself off, Hermione stepped out of the floo into the twins'... George's... flat above the shop; it was Christmas Eve and she'd unexpectedly received an invitation to come over. At first Hermione had been surprised, since despite the occasional owl and the one time they'd met up for a drink in Hogsmead since she'd returned to Hogwarts to complete her unofficial eighth year, they weren't exactly close. She'd also expected George to be celebrating at the Burrow, which was an invitation that had been extended to herself and Harry as well, but since she'd had no luck finding her parents and Crookshanks, Hermione hadn't wanted to be surrounded by someone else's family and be forced to pretend she was okay. But as she looked around George's living room and found a complete lack of festivity, his invitation started to make sense. He didn't want to celebrate the holiday either but equally didn't want to be alone. In all honesty, she was touched that he'd thought to invite her... albeit still surprised by the gesture... though when she called out his name there was no answer. So setting down her bag on the sofa, Hermione followed a hunch and headed down to the shop, finding it inundated with last minute shoppers. Without a second thought she hurried over to relieve Lee from the till so he could help George with the customers, and two hours flew by in the blink of an eye. Two hours where Hermione only managed a brief smile in greeting from across the room for George, until the redhead finally locked the front door and turned the sign to 'Closed'. A relieved sigh escaped Hermione as she rolled her tense shoulders, though she barely held back a moan when George came over and very kindly gave her aching muscles a few squeezes that felt heavenly. Lee looked between them, a smirk pulling at his lips that made Hermione roll her eyes, even as he tugged her into a brief hug.

“Have a good night,” Lee grinned, before he pulled George into a much firmer hug. “Don't do anything I wouldn't do.”

With that he disapperated, leaving them alone in the quiet shop that looked like it had been ransacked. Hermione surveyed the mess with a mounting sense of dread, though George caught her eye, a barely there smile pulling at his lips, before he declared the shop could wait. She gave him an understanding smile, because despite how well George had faked it in front of the customers, Hermione could see the weariness in his eyes and the slump in his posture. Without a word, she wrapped her arms around his waist, only to find herself blinking back tears as he immediately pulled her closer and buried his face in her unruly hair that was barely contained in the braid she'd wrestled it into. It almost felt as if he'd been waiting for permission to let his facade crack, and as she felt George's body begin to tremble, Hermione took him by the hand and led him back up to the flat. She had no real plan of what to do once she got to the living room, but didn't protest when George sat down heavily on the sofa and pulled her into his lap; her legs draped over his, and their arms wrapped around each other's torsos. He held her tightly as if he was afraid she'd disappear if he didn't, as a sob suddenly wracked his body, prompting Hermione to snuggle closer. For reasons she didn't really want to examine, she felt safe in George's arms. Safe to let her own facade drop for once, safe to let her emotions show, safe to be vulnerable. Despite never being close before, George was the only person Hermione knew wouldn't judge her for being broken, wouldn't pity her or try to 'fix' her. She'd started to tell him things she hadn't even told Harry, and in return he'd begun to her when he couldn't face anyone else. She didn't have words to express how she felt about it all, but as George buried his in the crook of her neck, Hermione was certain the feeling was mutual.


	3. Healing

Just over a year had passed since the end of the war, Hermione's time at Hogwarts was truly over, and she'd opted to move into one of Harry's spare rooms at a refurbished Grimauld Place, since she was no further in her hunt for her parents. Just like most nights, nightmares had once again woken her; a mixture of memories from the war, coupled with growing nerves about starting her new job at the Ministry. So she tiptoed out of her room and down several creaking flights of stairs until she came to the house's library. To say she was surprised to find another person hiding in her sanctuary was an understatement, nevermind the fact the person in question was George Weasley. He was huddled in the corner of the leather sofa she'd all but claimed as her own, but when he looked up at her then quickly turned his head so she couldn't see what was left of his ear... that was finally unbandaged... all thoughts about _why_ George was there suddenly seemed so very unimportant. Without giving her brain time to second guess herself, Hermione decided to do something she never thought she'd do, and showed someone the scar Bellatrix had gouged into her arm. The only person to have really seen it was Bill, and only because Hermione knew the eldest Weasley was one of the best Curse Breakers in the country, but seeing George wiping tears from his pale cheeks whilst trying to hide his injury hurt her heart.

So in complete silence Hermione took a seat beside him and deftly pushed up the sleeve of her pyjama top, revealing the crudely carved 'Mudblood' that she'd bare for the rest of her life. George stared at the hideous scar for what felt like an eternity, before his brown eyes had looked up at her with such understanding and compassion that Hermione had fallen into his arms without a second thought. They'd cried together, holding each other tight as they once again mourned everything that had been taken from them. It had become a running theme between them, but one Hermione took comfort in; crying with George was always strangely cathartic. They must have fallen asleep like that, because the next thing Hermione was aware of was weak sunlight filtering through the dark linen curtains that hung at the windows. Her eyes felt sore and puffy from crying herself to sleep, but something unexpectedly unclenched in her chest when she realised George's arms were still wrapped around her waist. She looked up, surprised to find him already awake as he offered her a small smile that seemed almost shy. It was a peculiar look to see on his attractive face, but then again, there was a time Hermione would have found her friendship with George odd in general. Now though, she could no longer imagine her life without him in it. 

Of course Ron _hated_ how close they'd become. He'd grumbled whenever George 'stole' her attention from him, moaned when he 'found out' that they'd sent biweekly owls to each other during term time... not that it had ever been a secret to begin with... and had caused a full blown argument when he'd learnt she had stayed with George instead of going to the Burrow over the Christmas break. _That_ had been the final straw for Hermione, especially since she'd already put up with more than enough of Ron's jealousy over the fact she'd made peace with Draco; who she'd become tentative friends with during their final year, thanks to several heart-to-hearts along with mediatory meetings with Professor McGonagall. It had infuriated Hermione. They weren't even dating for Merlin's sake, because one celebratory kiss fuel by desperation didn't negate the way Ron had constantly dismissed her thoughts and belittled her feelings over the years. Really, Hermione was ninety percent sure they had only ever been friends because of Harry, and whilst the realisation had hurt, she was doing alright. Harry was still her best friend, and she had Neville and Luna who liked her for well... _her_ , she even had Draco now. Then there was George. Somehow, despite also being a shadow of his former self, he made Hermione think things would one day be okay. And as he pressed a gentle kiss to her unruly hair, still holding her close, she couldn't help feeling lucky despite all they'd been through.


	4. Enough

Rain was lashing against the window pane, torrents of water gurgling down the drainpipes; audible thanks to the ill fitting casements, that also let the smell of the summer storm seep into Shell Cottage; that Bill had asked them to house-sit whilst the couple visited Fluer's parents in France. Breathing a surprisingly contented sigh, Hermione tightened the woollen blanket around her shoulders, before she carried two steaming mugs of tea over to the forlorn figure who'd sequestered himself in the window seat to watch the downpour. He looked like a man adrift, and although just over two years had passed since that fateful day, Hermione supposed George was still lost without his twin to make him whole. He turned weary brown eyes to her as she offered him the mug laden with his usual three teaspoons of sugar, and his lips quirked into the smallest of smiles as a silent thanks, before he shifted his long legs to make room for her. Without further coaxing Hermione sat down, her back pressed against George's chest without hesitation and one of his strong arms wrapping around her waist almost instinctively, whilst she took a cautious sip of her own sugarless tea.

She turned her head on the pretence of watching the rain, though through their reflections, Hermione took stock of George. He'd grown his hair out since the battle in an attempt to hide his missing ear, his ginger locks now as long as it had been during the Tri-Wizard Tournament. His brown eyes were as warm as ever as he met her gaze in the glass, but Hermione could see the weariness that he tried to hide from others. So she tilted her head back, her riotous hair tickling George's handsome face and making him huff a quiet laugh; just as intended. He raised the hand that had been splayed across her stomach to smooth her curls out of the way, his lips lightly brushing her temple before he wrapped his arm back around her waist, holding her tighter than before. They'd never discussed what they were to each other, never examined why they were almost inseparable now, or why they took so much comfort in the other's presence. But as Hermione let her hand not holding the mug entwine with George's, a small smile tugging at her lips as he gently squeezed her fingers, she found she didn't mind. Whatever they were to each other, it was enough.


End file.
